Reading Aloud
Research done in the past shows that reading aloud is among the vital reading strategies that improve reading literacy, text comprehension, as well as an understanding of ideas and themes in a text. Each student is given a chance to read the text loudly. Current studies show that reading aloud was a strategy used by students when learning a language. The students organized themselves in three focus groups, and the approach turned out to be more effective and beneficial as described by most learners.
Besides, the participants realized that reading allowed provides a critical understanding of general ideas as well as specific details in the text. Not only were the participants able to improve their reading skills but also their language skills like speaking and pronunciation. This is the reason why language students prefer the reading aloud strategy as compared to other approaches.
Also, the participants added that by reading aloud, they could receive instant feedback from their language teachers, in case they do not pronounce a word correctly. Moreover, the learners find the reading strategy to be exciting and enjoyable. The participants in the three focus groups believe that reading aloud provides a platform for the learners to present their feelings and emotions. They also find the text to be engaging.
Silent Reading
Silent reading was another strategy mentioned by the learners in the focus groups. This strategy comes along with several benefits. One of them is that the participants realize that this strategy gives room for faster reading. Although the reading is quick, it may be less comprehensive. According to the learners, silent reading improves concentration, meaning that the learners can focus on the main ideas, topics, and themes in the text. By practicing silent reading, learners can develop the rhythm of the text. Besides, learners can read at a consistent pace without focusing on other aspects of language, such as the pronunciation of words.
Even though silent reading helps learners improve their reading skills, they do not get a good comprehension of the text. This opinion is contrary to research, which shows that silent reading does not focus on the pronunciation of each word and understanding of the text; instead, this strategy improves on fluency and comprehension of the readers.
Shared Reading
Shared reading is one of the reading strategies mentioned by the participants. This strategy involves cooperatively reading and interacting with a specific text. First, the participants believe that by doing so, they can succeed and improve their reading skills. Second, the participants identified that shared reading provides a language boost to all students. Third, the participants pointed out that shared reading is more interesting and enjoyable for students. Not only is shared reading enjoyable but also appealing. By cooperative reading, the participants find a comfortable, welcoming, and productive classroom environment. This learning environment allows learners to develop their reading skills.
Scanning or Skimming Sections of Text
Scanning or skimming sections of a text are among the strategies brought forth by the participants. Scanning and skimming are two similar strategies. Scanning involves reading quickly through a text to identify the main points, but for skimming, the reader goes through the book quickly but is interested in the overview of the text. The participants found these two strategies to be helpful when reading lengthy passages. Also, the three focus groups find that scanning and skimming are used in the pre-reading phase. In other words, these two techniques are useful before the line by line reading to prepare readers for the main reading. Also, scanning and skimming allow readers to find specific information quickly, especially when searching for answers in a reading test instead of reading through the whole passage.
Timed Reading
Timed reading was the last strategy to be discussed by the three focus groups. This strategy brought forth several benefits to the learners. One of them is an improvement in the student’s reading speed. Second, frequent timed reading helps to develop good reading comprehension. Lastly, learners can improve accuracy, understanding, and fluency.
Even though timed reading was compelling, the interviewees in all focus groups do not prefer this strategy. The participants believe that timed reading is used to assess their reading abilities. Also, the approach puts them under intense pressure, which affects their concentration abilities. The participants add that this reading strategy affects their ability to do better in tests.
Another reason why participants do not prefer timed reading is that it limits their ability to explore the text. The learners have limited time to go over the text to identify the main points. They realize that by reading quickly, learners are not able to focus on other vital issues of a reading process, such as identifying themes and main ideas of the text. Another disadvantage is that they forget to concentrate on the main purposes of the passage.